TRANSCRIPT OF RADIO SHOW “FREEDOM MAGAZINE” ON WTTP IN BOSTON ON JUNE 11, 1985

Welcome back. This is David Aden with the Church of Scientology’s “Freedom Magazine.” We’re talking about religious freedom today, and in particular we’re talking about a case involving the Church of Scientology. Actually we’re talking about several cases. But we’re talking about one in particular involving the Church of Scientology in Portland, Oregon.

Phil Profit, who’s the public affairs representative of the Church of Scientology in California was in Portland, was involved in covering the case out there, and dealing with the issues surrounding it, talking with the clergy who come to protest that particular decision. He’s here with us today. If you’d like to give us a call, we have a few minutes left. From Boston we can be reached at 969-1060. From Metro West 651-1060. Again, we’re talking about the issue of religious freedom.

Phil, almost as a wrap-up on this, it’s obvious that the Portland case represented some situation where a government agency was trying to dictate to a  religion what it should and should not do.

PP: Oh yes, absolutely. In fact, it’s interesting you should mention that government agency. I don’t know if you’re aware, but during the trial it was brought out that a government agent was actually planted within the Church and was involved in a plot to basically overthrow the Church. Gerald Armstrong who’s
a witness in the trial in Portland was filmed on video conspiring with another individual whom he thought to be within the Church and conspiring to  overthrow the Church. The video tape showed Gerald Armstrong basically plotting to create false documentation which he said he could easily create and had done so in the past; to create false documents and plant them within the Church and then at a later date when the IRS or the FBI or somebody came to raid the Church would find this false documentation which would be very damaging to the Church, and, you know, there you go. Why it’s all history then.

Gerry Armstrong was found to be working with the IRS, CID, Criminal Investigation Division, and the Department of Justice. And, in fact, on the video tape he gave the names of his contacts and their phone numbers.

So it was a very interesting revelation, and just that by itself coming out in the case made it worth going through all of that.

DA: So in more ways than one the government had its fingers into this case.

PP: Absolutely. Absolutely.

DA: What was the final goal of this plan that he was laying out?

PP: Basically to obtain financial control of the church, and its assets.

Gerald Armstrong was represented by and working with an attorney in Boxford here named Michael Flynn who has had a personal vendetta against the church since 1979. And we find that Michael Flynn has a number of suits against the church, with ex-parishioners of the church which he has solicited, not just
in the Boston area but around the country. And the sum total of these suits is in the neighborhood of like two billion dollars, I think. It’s like totally insane.

So you can see, it’s obvious that obtaining financial control of the church from an outside source and then settling all of the suits would be, of course, financially advantageous.

DA: We’ve got to begin to wrap up now. Maybe thirty seconds. What do you see as the end goal of the coalition that came together.

PP: I see as the end goal a restoration of our First Amendment rights, okay. Our rights as guaranteed to us under the Constitution. The right of a religion to believe as it will, to practice as it will its religious beliefs, free from government harassment, government control. I should hope that we will achieve that in the very near future. I’d like to see a growing awareness on the part of Americans of the Constitution, of the Amendments thereto, and their rights under the Constitution. And I’d like to see them aware of the fact that religion is under attack in this country.

DA: Thanks very much for being here.

PP: Absolutely, my pleasure.

DA: We really appreciate it. We’ve been talking with Phil Profit who’s a public affairs representative of the Church of Scientology of California. We’ve been talking about religious freedom, and its ramifications. This is David Aden of the Church of Scientology’s “Freedom Magazine.” We’re here every Tuesday from one to two in the afternoon. We’d like to hear from you. We enjoy you joining us, either through the phone, or writing. If you’d like to get in touch, you can reach me at the Church of Scientology, 448 Beacon Street, Boston 02115. 266-9500. I’d like to hear from you. If you have suggestions about the program, please give a call.

WTTP 244-7680
Scientology’s “Freedom Magazine”

Tuesdays 1-2 p.m.
Host David Aden
Producer Andy Epstein
Receptionist – Lisa
ABC Affiliate
address: 24 West Central
Natick, MA 01760